Maundy Thursday: The Last Supper of Our Lord
Maundy Thursday is one of the Christian observances of Holy Week, falling the day before Good Friday in the build-up to Easter Sunday each year. Maundy is derived from the Latin word for "command," and refers to Jesus' commandment to the disciples to "Love one another as I have loved you." It is believed to be the day when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples and shared the famous last supper. Last Supper by Da Vinci The Last Supper is derived from Jesus' Jewish heritage and his observance of a Jewish holiday. The Last Supper was a Passover Seder, the feast of unleavened bread. Jesus and the disciples are eating unleavened bread. Passover is the Jewish festival commemorating the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, when they left so quickly there was no time for the bread to rise. Maundy Thursday is also associated with foot-washing. Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, an act described in the Gospel of John, chapter 13, as Jesus teachi...